Toms River School Board Member Resigns As Board Prepared To Remove Her

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A member of the Toms River Regional Board of Education has resigned amid claims she failed to disclose $300,000 in income on her financial disclosure statement.

Paola Pascarella resigned her seat on the board at the Feb. 18 school board meeting.

Board President Ashley Lamb, in casting her vote to accept the resignation, said the board had notified Pascarella that it intended to hold a vote to remove her from the board, due to her missing four consecutive meetings.

Lamb also said Pascarella was going to be removed for failing to report nearly $300,000 of family income on the financial disclosure form Pascarella was required to file with the New Jersey School Ethics Commission.

"Miss Pascarella knowingly lied on her personal financial disclosure by intentionally omitting almost $300,000 in income paid to her family by the township of Toms River," Lamb said.

Pascarella's husband, Kim Pascarella, is the municipal prosecutor for Toms River.

A request for comment emailed to both Paola and Kim Pascarella the night of the school board meeting was not answered.

Lamb also cited Pascarella's comments at the Dec. 17 school board meeting where Pascarella criticized Superintendent Michael Citta for blasting Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick during the meeting.

Citta accused Rodrick of interfering in district business and trying to influence board members, after weeks of Rodrick publicly criticizing Citta's request to the school board to reopen his contract and grant him a new five-year deal that would have increased his salary by $80,000.

Citta's comments can be viewed beginning at the 1-hour, 36-minute mark of the Dec. 17 school board meeting video.

Rodrick, who has called for Citta to resign, was present at the Dec. 17 meeting.

Pascarella blasted Citta's remarks later in the meeting — they can be found at the 2-hour mark of the video — accusing him of "throwing a tantrum, acting like a child" and sharing what she said were several issues within the district.

Pascarella had not attended a board meeting since the Dec. 17 session.

"She has violated the code of ethics on multiple occasions," Lamb said, adding Pascarella had insulted students, staff, and families at the December meeting. "Due to this behavior, she was noticed that she would be removed. In my opinion, she sent a letter of resignation at the 11th hour in attempt to save face."

"Miss Pascarella's presence on this board has been nothing but a disservice to our district," Lamb said.

The board is accepting applications for the vacant seat, which is open only to Toms River residents, to serve the remainder of 2026, when the term is due to expire.

The application can be found here and must be completed and turned in, with 10 nominating signatures, by 3 p.m. on Friday, March 6.

Applications also are availableat the Board of Education office at 1144 Hooper Ave., Suite 301, Toms River. All applications must be submitted to the board office, directed to Lamb, at 1144 Hooper Ave., Suite 301, Toms River.

The video of the Feb. 18 meeting can be viewed here.